Blood Stone
by chantal de la elske
Summary: rated for later chapters, based on the brothers grimm fairy tale the goose girl, which I do NOT own. please r&r! updated August 17th... sorry for the wait if you were waiting...
1. chapter 1

Chapter I  
  
A woman wrapped in a dark cloak hurried down the street. Quickly she turned a corner onto another street that was lined with temples dedicated to many different deities. She went unnoticed as she hurried up the broad jade steps to one of the smaller temples. Her cloak dropped as she hurried inside revealing pure white hair tucked up into a servant's knot. Her deeply tanned skin set off the whiteness of her hair. She wore a simple aqua dress that matched her eyes perfectly. The woman, who was not much more than a girl at the time grabbed the cloak she had dropped and set it again so it covered her hair. She did not want attention to be brought to her, that was the last thing she needed.  
  
The girl settled herself in the far-left corner of the temple as to hide herself from the people on the street. She looked around the temple. It was empty save for two guards who stood outside the glass doors. The temple was made of pure white marble with an altar in the front. Embedded on the altar were opals and jade. A carved jade idol of the goddess Geshri sat atop the altar.  
  
The girl, slow and deliberate walked toward the altar. When she reached it she pulled a stick of incense from the folds of her cloak and lit it. She set it in a shallow metallic bowel at the base of the idol and took a step back from the altar. She bowed her head low so it touched the ground in front of the altar and then rested herself, sitting on her feet. Finally she felt safe.  
  
She thought back on what had happened recently. Running away from her master wasn't the smartest thing to do but she had no other choice. Stealing food from a vendor downtown wasn't the best idea either. Now she needed to find somewhere to work and somewhere to live. The food she had stolen wouldn't last her long and it wasn't safe for a girl her age to be walking the streets at night. She needed a plan.  
  
It wasn't safe for her in Shintöv so she had run away. Yujri, her master or his nephew Jaffrix might find her there. She had run for days until she made it to Tset Zhan, the most religious city in all of Sirizia. It was here were all the temples in the country were. It was to here where pilgrimages were made. It was here that she wasn't even safe. Yujri had spies everywhere from mountaintop to the busiest city in the country, which is where she was. It wouldn't be hard to find a girl with white hair in a crowd of women with dark hair. Why did she have to be so unique? She brought her hand up to make sure her hair was covered.  
  
After contemplating her problem a bit more she decided that she should at least find somewhere to stay for the night. As the girl exited the temple she looked about her. She figured that if she wanted to find somewhere to stay she should at least figure out where she was. She headed down the street and found herself in the middle of a street fair. There were women dancing and selling trinkets, men were talking and children were running around playing games. The street smelled of foreign spices and the air was thick with the scent of frying food. Trying not to bring any attention to herself she walked to what appeared to be an inn.  
  
When she got inside the door she blinked her eyes, trying to get used to the dim lighting. As she approached the counter a man turned around. He had greasy brown hair pulled back into a long ponytail that hung down his back. His clothes were plain and homespun and he looked as if he was a beggar but the girl knew he was probably the one she needed to talk to if she wanted a room. She came to the counter and above all the din of the small tavern she managed to tell the man that she wanted a room. Somehow he told her that she needed twelve draakni if she wanted one. The girl pulled out her dark leather purse from her boot and counted out twelve little silver coins. She looked at the remains realizing that she only had four draakni and one shranja left in her purse. That would last her seven days, maybe eight but not any longer than that.  
  
After the girl gave him her money he took her upstairs to a cramped room. As she enter threw the low wooden door she looked around. There was a stub of a candle on the table that the innkeeper was lighting. There was no window and no other exit but the single door she had come in. The bed, if you could call it that was a dirty mattress on the floor. There was also the tiny wooden table that the candle was sitting upon. After lighting the candle the innkeeper left the room and closed the door leaving the girl in almost complete darkness.  
  
All that she wanted to do was go to sleep but she made herself perform the prayers required by the gods. She prayed to Ithrán, god of the sky, Rina, his wife and the goddess of the earth and Geshri the goddess of love and the water. Geshri was always her favorite goddess and the girl never knew why. It was Geshri she prayed to when she needed help, Geshri who she prayed to for protection and Geshri who she believed helped her escape from her master.  
  
As soon as she finished her prayers she fell onto the mattress. She thought over what she had to do. How was she going to find a job? A fifteen year old girl in the middle of a huge city, she'd be lucky of she made it through the next week. She did not have much to protect her, should anyone come along. However, there was one thing.  
  
She slowly put her hand around the sack she wore around her neck. It was small, no more than the size of her fist and it was made of dark velvet. She kept it on a long, thin chain under her dress where no one could see it. As she pulled on the silken cord a small stone fell into her hand. It had the look and shape of a large opal but it had a name etched into it. Her name, Jahandri was written in gold on the stone. As she closed her fingers around it heat radiated from the center and its warmth filled her body. The magic that the stone contained would be strong enough to protect her from anyone she might meet. Not many held stones that were given to them by gods. When she thought about it, not many had a goddess even speak to them. She thought back to the day that Geshri had given her the stone.  
  
It was dark and Jahandri was walking along a river. It was winter and the air bit at her exposed face and arms. She had been only four years old at the time and had not even met Yujri yet. Jahandri didn't remember why she was walking along the river or even where she had come from before. All she could remember was a shimmering light dancing over the river and then a woman appeared. She had ink black hair and the same unusual eyes that Jahandri had. For some reason Jahandri recognized her but she didn't know who she was. Slowly she walked toward the woman but when she got to the water she stopped. The river was deep and swift, one foot in the water and she would be swept away. The woman beckoned her forward. Jahandri put a shaking foot on the water and found that it was solid beneath her feet. She looked down and saw that the water had been frozen. Looking at the woman she realized who it was. She had such a powerful control over the waters and her face was so familiar. Jahandri had seen it many times before in the temples. It was the goddess Geshri.  
  
Jahandri's eyes widened as she fell to her knees. She began to bow before the woman but was stopped by the shaking of the goddess's head. "Come."  
  
Jahandri got to her feet and continued across the river. When she got to where the woman was standing she looked up and into her eyes. The goddess smiled. She pulled out a knife from her pocket. Slowly and carefully she drew it across her finger. Just as slowly she picked up a stone from the ground and let her blood flow onto it. Three drops of black blood covered the stone in glassy darkness. Geshri drew her hand across the stone and magically 'Jahandri' became etched on it in gold flowing script. She held out her hand. Jahandri gave her a questioning look. The goddess only said "Take it, it will protect you from the evil that you will face in your life. Do not lose it!" As soon as Jahandri took the stone Geshri disappeared as quickly as she had come.  
  
Thinking back on the strange occurrence Jahandri wondered why she had been given the stone. What evil was she to face? It had been eleven years and she still hadn't faced anything that required her to use the stone. She didn't even know how she would use it if she ever needed it. She let out a yawn and put the stone back in its purse. Laying her head on the grimy pillow she thought 'Well, this is better than nothing' and quickly drifted off to sleep.  
  
The next day when Jahandri woke up she realized her candle had burnt out. The room was completely dark save for the light that flowed through the crack under the door. She stood up and wished for a light and a mirror. "I at least had a decent room and some light when I was working for Yujri," but she realized that staying in Shintöv would not have been a good idea. "I wonder what time it is." She left her room and headed downstairs.  
  
"You got anything to eat around here" Jahandri asked the innkeeper.  
  
"Yes ma'am we do, but it'll cost you another few draaknis, unless you be willin' to give us a show. Pretty girl like you? I'd give ya free room 'n board fir that."  
  
Jahandri eyed the man. "Thanks for the offer but I can pay for what I need." She was used to men wanting to get at her. Jaffrix had tried every chance he got. He had even gone so far as to ask his uncle for her. Yujri probably would have given her to him after he had a go at her himself. "Men are perverts," she muttered after grabbing the brandy he offered her.  
  
Jahandri ate a meal that consisted of slimy meat and a stale hank of bread. It cost her two of her remaining draaknis. As soon as she finished her 'meal' she walked outside. Her cloak was wrapped tightly around her head even though it was an extremely warm day. 'Much different than Shintöv' she thought. Shintöv was located high in the mountains and Tset Zhan was near the great desert that covered the top half of Sirizia.  
  
As Jahandri was walking along the street she realized she had no idea where she was going. She thought about her options. There was always becoming a prostitute but Jahandri would starve before sell herself to random men. She would have to hire herself out as a servant but to whom? Hiring herself out meant telling people her name. It meant trusting someone. Hiring herself out would make the possibility of being caught much more obvious. Jahandri didn't want to face the consequences of being a runaway. Runaways in Sirizia were punished with death: slow and painful death. When the torture was over your head was cut off and stuck on a spike in the center of the town. No, being caught was not an option.  
  
Jahandri thought about whom to hire herself out to. Who would take a lonely fifteen-year-old girl who had no papers or credits into their home? Then and again someone had taken her out of the orphanage and into their home when she was seven without a single question. Yujri Greshem. If she were to hire herself out it would be to a large mansion where she could work unnoticed. Even then who wouldn't notice a girl with pure white hair? Even if she did cover her hair with a scarf there was still the matter of her aqua eyes. It seemed that everyone in the city, country and world had dark hair and dark eyes. Why was she so different? 'Geshri, help me!' she prayed.  
  
As if by some magical occurrence a woman dressed in expensive robes and jewelry came up to her, "Are you looking for a job?"  
  
"Why do you ask?" Jahandri replied.  
  
"You just looked as if you need help. I haven't seen you around here before. Also I am looking for a maid. You see my previous chamber has taken ill and can no longer work for me." The woman looked to be about twenty-five. She had dark hair, flawless skin and her eyes looked like golden almonds. Makeup adorned her face, black lines around her eyes and golden powder made her skin shine. Her clothing was of the finest quality Jahandri had ever seen. Jewels hung from her ears, neck, wrist and a tiny diamond pierced her nose. A nose-ring signified that a girl was married or engaged.  
  
"Yes I am looking for a job but why would you hire me. If you don't mind me asking."  
  
"Oh not at all dear. You seem... well different than the rest of the people in this town. I sense something about you. I don't really know what it is but I just felt I had to come up to you. There was just a force drawing me to you"  
  
"Geshri..." Jahandri's voice was merely a whisper.  
  
"What? Oh never mind. Would you like to take the job?"  
  
"Don't you want to see my papers? My identification? Anything?  
  
"Yes I suppose," the woman appeared to be in a daze, "but it can wait until later. Just come along dear." It was then that Jahandri realized she had a death grip around the pouch that contained the stone.  
  
Jahandri followed the woman up and down many streets before they appeared at a large house. It was the most extraordinary building that Jahandri had ever seen. It was made of polished rocks and stood three floors high. An emerald lawn that had a walkway surrounded by roses leading up to the house preceded it. 


	2. chapter 2

Chapter II  
  
Jahandri followed the woman into the magnificent house as she told her what her duties would be. "...You shall make sure my room is always warm enough but not stifling. Also you will-"  
  
"Excuse for interrupting milady but what, may I ask is your name?"  
  
"Oh heavens! I feel so foolish! I am Maríkina Yanria, Duchess of Sirizia and ninth in line for the throne. Don't worry about that dear, you can just call me Marí. Now over here..." her voice drifted off as Jahandri stood in shock. Ninth in line for the throne? She was chambermaid to the women who possible could be Queen someday? Quickly she realized Marí was waiting for her and hurried to catch up with her apologizing the entire way. "No need for that. I don't bother with the fact that I am royalty anymore. It makes people act strange. By the way, I told you my name but I do not believe you told me yours."  
  
"Jahandri, milady"  
  
"Now, to continue the grand tour." Marí showed Jahandri around the house telling her about what she was expected to do along the way. To Jahandri it seemed as if she was to be nothing but a companion to the woman. Marí's husband was away often and she did not like being alone. After she had been shown around the entire house Marí sent her to be measured for some suitable clothing. After she was measured she was to be sent to have lunch with her new mistress.  
  
Jahandri couldn't help but wonder how she had gotten the job. Duchesses just don't come up to random girls in the street and asked them if they would like jobs. Could it have been the stone? Why was Geshri looking out for her? What had she done to deserve protection from a goddess?  
  
After she had been measured Jahandri hurried back to the dining room. Marí was already sitting at the table. "Where am I to sit milady? At my previous master's house I ate in the kitchen but I have the strangest feeling that I will be different here." Jahandri smiled.  
  
"You are quite right dear. You are to eat out here with me and keep me company." Marí smiled back. "You mentioned your previous master who did you work for?"  
  
Jahandri thought carefully before she answered, "I was one of three servants employed. I come from the mountains. Things were becoming more difficult for my master and he had to let me go. When I was freed I decided to come to Tset Zhan to worship before finding a new employer." It wasn't completely a lie, just parts of it. Jahandri didn't want this woman to find out about her past. Marí seemed to believe the story well enough and continued the conversation. They talked about idle things for a while and then somehow happened upon the topic of marriage.  
  
"Do you wish to marry, Jahandri?"  
  
"I have never thought about it, milady."  
  
"Well you seem to be around the correct age, how old are you? Sixteen?"  
  
"Fifteen."  
  
"You appear older. No matter. You are nearly of age and should consider a visit to the matchmaker. You do not need my permission to get married, unlike many people I do not care if my servants are married or not."  
  
"I will think about it milady." Jahandri did think about getting married., she though about it often. She did want to get married and have a family but she didn't think she was ready. It seemed to her that she was still a young girl talking to the goddess Geshri.  
  
Jahandri worked for Marí a year before she returned to visit Geshri's temple. She never felt the need, praying to the goddess from her room seemed enough. The girl also, after a time began to feel safer about Yujri and Jaffrix. However one day she felt a sudden urge to go to the temple. The girl asked Marí if she could go to the town for a few hours and she said yes.  
  
Jahandri set out toward the temples of Tset Zhan. After about twenty minutes she reached Geshri's temple. She quickly slipped inside. Yet again she was the only one inside the temple. Jahandri walked up to the altar, lit a stick of incense and set it in the bowel. She bowed her head to the ground and sat up.  
  
For a long time Jahandri sat in the temple just staring at the idol of Geshri. Questions ran through her head. Why me? Why was I chosen to speak with you? Why did you give me the stone? Why did I get the job working for Marí? Why? Why? Why? Why? She put her head in her hands. Her eyes were closed and she did not see the glass doors clouding over with a dark green smoke. She did not see the shimmering light in front of her and she didn't see the woman appear from thin air.  
  
"Look at me, Jahandri."  
  
Jahandri jumped up. In front of her was a woman that was all too familiar. She had black hair and aqua eyes. It was the goddess Geshri. Jahandri wanted to ask the questions she had thought about all those times but she found she couldn't speak a word. All she could do was stare into the goddess's eyes.  
  
They just stared at each other for a while before Jahandri could finally look away. It was then she asked, "Why me? Why are you doing this to me?" Geshri didn't answer so she asked again, "Why are you doing this all to me? What did I do to deserve conversations with a goddess?"  
  
"Is it not possible that you are one of my chosen prophets or maybe you are destined to be a priestess?"  
  
Jahandri though a moment before answering confidently, "No. All of the priests, priestesses, prophets, all of them have some kind of magical gift, I can do nothing. The only magic I have ever encountered was in that stone and I don't even know how to use it's magic to help me," she looked up, her eyes full of questions, "Why was I chosen? Am I so different than everyone else? I mean my hair and eyes are but underneath all that?"  
  
"Yes my dear, you are different, very different in fact. There isn't another remotely like you on this entire planet. I do not believe there is another like you in the entire creation."  
  
"Why? Why am I so different that you have to come down and talk to me?"  
  
"Because you're my daughter."  
  
Jahandri was speechless. She could not understand what Geshri was saying. Her, the daughter of a goddess, it was impossible. Gods and goddesses were supposed to do great things, like move mountains or create storms. They were supposed to control nature and go on important quests and adventures. The only thing she would ever amount to was to be a servant and possibly someday a wife to a poor servant who was like her. Even if she was Geshri's daughter how did she come to be on earth? Gods lived in the heavens and only came to earth on rare occasions.  
  
"Your... daughter? How, why?"  
  
"I know it may seem hard to believe, but you really are my daughter."  
  
"So you are telling me, and expecting me to believe that I am a goddess? Goddesses have magical powers! I don't! Goddesses are brave! I'm not!"  
  
"But you really are a goddess! Well, at least half of one anyway. Your father was mortal. That still means that you are one half goddess and that means I have every right to talk to you. You are special Jahandri, can't you just understand that?"  
  
"But why? I never asked to be a goddess! I just wanted to have a normal life. I wanted to get married, have children. Is that to much to ask?"  
  
"No, and you will! Being a goddess doesn't mean that you cannot get married and have children. In fact that is why I came to talk to you today, we need to discuss your marriage."  
  
"My marriage?"  
  
"Yes. I still have to work out the details but I have performed my duties as a proper mother, arranging your marriage."  
  
"You arranged my marriage? Who even told you I wanted to be married?"  
  
"You did. Every night in your prayers you ask the gods to send you someone to marry. Besides as your mother I have the right to arrange your marriage if I wish to do so. Consider yourself lucky, the man I have chosen is better than most of the men out there."  
  
Jahandri could not believe what she was hearing, first a mother who is a goddess and now a fiancée who she didn't ask for. "Who is this man?"  
  
"A prince. Of a small country to the north of here, Q'Rhaz, but a prince all the same."  
  
"A prince? When did get around to finding me a prince for a husband? I'm just a servant; I have no business marrying a prince! Do you have-"  
  
"When will you understand that you are more that just a servant? You're that daughter of Geshri, goddess of the sea! I found a man who will take care of you for the rest of your life."  
  
"What if I don't want to be anything more than a servant! I can't I won't! I finally found a mistress who treats me like more than a servant, she treats me like her friend. I can't just abandon her! She depends on me!"  
  
"She hired you quickly didn't she? Her previous chambermaid had taken ill and then she just out of the blue came up to you and asked you if you needed a job. She can find another just as quickly as she found you!"  
  
"Why should I trust you? You have never been there for me, when I was growing up I had no mother or father. Now you come up to me and tell me that you are my mother and I still don't know who my father is."  
  
"He was a fisherman. He was stranded on an island in the middle of the Great Sea and I rescued him."  
  
"Did he know who you were?"  
  
"No, but I was going to tell him. Her knew about you, he was there when you were born. He was the one who thought of the name Jahandri. It was his sister's name."  
  
"So? Where is he now? Or don't you know. You probably cared about him just as much as you care about me. Not at all."  
  
"Think what you want. I loved your father. He was killed the night you were born."  
  
"How?"  
  
"My brother, Ithrán didn't want me to marry a mortal. He was so set against my marriage so he killed your father."  
  
Jahandri sank to her knees and stared at her. Ithrán was always called "the merciful" yet he just killed her father fir wanting to marry his sister. Jahandri was still angry with her mother but she now had a new found sympathy for her. She did not know what to think. Geshri had never told her that she was the daughter of a goddess. Maybe she had felt just as lonely all those years without a daughter and Jahandri had felt without parents.  
  
After a while she stood up, "Maybe I could give this a try. Just remember, I'm new at this," she smiled. So did Geshri. 


	3. chatper 3

Chapter III  
  
Jahandri still worked for Marí. She went about doing her chores and never found the right moment to tell the woman who she really was. Sometimes it made her feel guilty but the more she thought about it she didn't have to tell Marí everything.  
  
Everything was going well until the one day that Marí started ask Jahandri if she wanted to get married again, "Have you gone to see the matchmaker yet?"  
  
"No, milady."  
  
"You should! You are not going to be a child forever, I should know," Marí smiled. She was talking about the baby she as about to have. Finally she would have someone besides Jahandri to keep her company.  
  
"I know, I just haven't had the time. I will go, soon. Actually I think I will be going sometime within the next week." Jahandri had been looking for an excuse to go visit her mother and she really didn't need to see the matchmaker. Her mother was taking care of her marriage to Prince Derique.  
  
The more she thought about her upcoming marriage the more Jahandri worried. What if Derique did not like her? What is she did not fit in with the royalty? Even if she was part goddess she had gown up as a servant and that was the only lifestyle that she had ever known. A servant becoming a princess only happened in fairytales, never in ordinary life.  
  
It took another two months before Jahandri finally decided to go into the town. Marí was elated when Jahandri finally told her that she was going to talk to someone about her marriage. Of course Marí didn't know that someone was her mother who just happened to be the goddess Geshri, she thought Jahandri was going to talk to the matchmaker.  
  
Jahandri hurried through the streets of Tset Zhan on her way to the temple, her cloak pulled up to cover her hair, as always. When she got to the temple she saw some people inside. She knelt down in the back of the temple to wait until they left. There were two men in the front of the temple. Jahandri realized after a while that they were not praying, they were arguing about something.  
  
"I want her found! I don't care if it's been over a year!" the voice was extremely familiar, but who was it?  
  
"We've searched everywhere, master. She's gone!" the second man's voice was different. He had a strange accent that reminded her of Qántir, Sirizia's neighbor to the north. Why would someone from Qántir be in Tset Zhan? Qántir was a poor country and most people were of the lower class. The main thing it was known for was the skill of the king's spies. Most people knew that even though the king's head spies got the credit for the information they do not do much spying. They hire out talented peasant to do their work for them.  
  
"She's got to be somewhere! A fifteen year old girl doesn't just drop off the face of the earth!" Jahandri could not hear the other man's response but it caused the first man to knock him to the ground with a hard blow, "Find her! I don't care how long it takes you but it better not take much longer! She has white hair! How hard could that be to find? You best not mess this up, Rhuhan."  
  
Jahandri gasped, it was Yujri Greshem! He was still looking for her and he had hired a Qántirian spy to find her. She quickly covered her face with the cloak and bowed low to make it look as if she was praying. What she really was doing was grabbing hold of the stone that was underneath her dress.  
  
After what seemed like days the two men's footsteps echoed as they left the temple. Jahandri remained with her head bowed for a long time after that. She was trying to calm herself down so she would not look suspicious to the people on the street as she approached the altar.  
  
Out of habit Jahandri lit a stick of incense and placed it in the shallow metallic bowel on the altar. She bowed low and then realized how foolish she was. This was her mother! Jahandri stood up and pulled out the stone from to purse under her dress. She enclosed it in her hand and waited. Geshri had said that that was all she had to do and she would be there instantly. As she held it in her hand the glass doors again became covered with a dark green smoke. The same bright lights sparkled in the air in front of her as her mother appeared.  
  
"Hello, darling. Why are you calling upon me? Has something gone wrong?"  
  
"Of course not mother. I just wanted to talk to you about my wedding plans."  
  
"Really? So you have accepted the fact that you are my daughter and that I can arrange a marriage for you?" Jahandri's face turned pink and she looked toward the ground, "I thought so. What is it you would like to know?"  
  
"My mistress, Marí is always asking me to go to the matchmaker and arrange a marriage for me. I can't tell her that I'm already spoken for because then I would have to tell her about you and I don't want to do that."  
  
Geshri thought for a moment. It would be complicated getting her away from Marí. She could always say that she was betrothed to a servant in that northern country but Marí would want to meet him, "You could just disappear. You've done it before and gotten away with it."  
  
"Got away with it? Did you hear those men that were in here twenty minutes ago? They are looking for me to have me punished! I ran away once and I won't do it again! Besides, I had a very good reason to last time."  
  
Geshri frowned, "No, perhaps running away isn't the solution this time." What other options did she have though? "The only way I can think about it is to tell her the truth. I played with her head before so that she would give you a job, not that you could not have gotten that job yourself," she added quickly, "but maybe I could do it again."  
  
Jahandri thought about it. She did not really want her mother playing around with anyone's thoughts, especially not Marí's, "Isn't there something else you can do?"  
  
"We are running out of time, Jahandri. We only have six months before you are seventeen and I promised Derique's parents you would be ready by then. This isn't-" Geshri was interrupted by a crack of thunder. The candles in the room all went out at once leaving Jahandri and her mother in complete darkness. Suddenly a glowing yellow ball of power began to concentrate in the middle of the room about five steps away from the two women. The ball began to grow until it was the size of Jahandri's head.  
  
Wish another quick flash the ball transformed into a man that was nearly twice Jahandri's height. He had long gray-streaked dark brown hair that was held back into a horsetail with a leather tie. His eyes were the color of copper and his skin was tanned. The robes that he wore were the colors of the earth. His cloak was green, his tunic the color of sand with his belt and boots a darker brown.  
  
When Jahandri saw his eyes she gasped and backed away, he looked ferociously outraged. He started walking toward Geshri, she just stood still with a tight look on her face. When he saw Jahandri he lifted his arm and a lightening bolt flew from his fingers hitting her square in the forehead. She fell to the ground and the man returned his stare to Geshri. He looked her up and down as he walked until he was about a hand's width away from her.  
  
"Are you teaching others to be like you? Marrying your daughter off to a mortal when she is a goddess?" Geshri could not look away from Jahandri. The man let out a loud sigh, "You know she is going to be fine. I just knocked her out for a few minutes. Now answer my question!" His voice was like that of a roaring lion and he seemed to have a powerful command over Geshri. She looked terribly frightened to say anything.  
  
"Ithrán, I..." Geshri could not say anything to her brother. She was completely terrified that he would do something to her daughter just like he had done to the man she loved.  
  
"You what? You're sorry that you are going against tradition with your bastard daughter? Letting her marry a mortal when there are dozens of gods who need wives. If you do succeed in letting her marry that so-called prince at least any talentless mortal children she has with her degenerate husband will be born within marriage unlike you. First you sleep with a mortal and then you get pregnant. He didn't even have the decency to marry you."  
  
"Just because he didn't ask me to marry him does not mean that he was not going to. You never gave him the chance! You killed him as soon as Jahandri was born!"   
  
"And I should have killed him sooner! He disgraced our family by getting you pregnant with his wretched daughter!"  
  
"There is nothing wrong with my daughter you spiteful, heinous old man! You just don't want anybody to be happy with something you didn't create! You hate it when things happen that you have no control over! Leave my daughter in peace! None of this is her fault! She didn't even know she was my daughter until a few months ago!"  
  
"That's not my fault, it's yours! I will not have any niece of mine, even if she's noting but a worthless bastard, marry a mortal! They are not like us Geshri. Mortals are war raging and resentful beings! She'd be better off dead than married to one of them!"  
  
"This is between you and me! Leave her out of this! Just because your angry does not mean you are going to kill my daughter! Now leave! This is my temple and I don't want you coming here ever again! Don't you have your own wife and children to get back to?" Geshri threw her arms into the air and forcefully shoved as much magic as she could right at Ithrán.  
  
"Don't think you have heard the end of this! Before this is all over I swear blood will be shed!"  
  
Finally he disappeared and Geshri collapsed to her knees gasping for air. She remembered Jahandri on the floor and hurried to her side. Geshri tried everything possible to wake her but nothing worked. She knew that eventually she would wake up but not when that would be. Hours, days maybe a week, Ithrán's spell would not last any longer than that. What would Geshri tell Marí? Normal girls don't fall into a coma for a week. 


	4. chapter 4

Chapter IV  
  
As it turned out Geshri did not have to worry about Jahandri waking up. She woke up five minutes after Ithrán left. Even though Jahandri was awake that did not mean that Ithrán's powers would not affect her. He could find her almost anywhere unless she had something to protect her, which she did. The stone would protect her from Ithrán finding her with his magic but he could still find her without it.  
  
There was not a choice anymore; Jahandri had to run away from Marí. There was not enough time to explain any of this to her and Jahandri had to get away. Her life was in danger if she stayed in Tset Zhan. Geshri could not go with her because Ithrán would be able to find her instantly and she could not abandon the people who prayed to her everyday. Jahandri would have to travel by herself to Q'Rhaz to marry Derique. At least Ithrán did not know where Jahandri's prince lived.  
  
After Geshri told her what Ithrán was going to do if he found her Jahandri reluctantly agreed to run away from Marí and marry Derique. Geshri did not want to send her daughter alone to marry the prince but she had no choice.  
  
That night Jahandri slept in the temple. The next morning she started out of the city. Geshri arranged to have a horse and bags packed with proper clothing waiting about a mile outside of Tset Zhan. When Jahandri got to the place where the horse was she also found her mother there waiting to say goodbye. Jahandri finally began her journey after one last embrace and warning from her mother, "Do not lose that stone, it is all I can send to protect you."  
  
As Jahandri rode into the mountains she thought about how long she would have to travel to get to Q'Rhaz. Geshri had said that all she needed to do was follow the Motrija Road all the way north. Jahandri road nearly through the night and most of the next day and she was exhausted by the next afternoon. She road along until she found what she thought was an abandoned barn.  
  
After she had taken care of her horse that she had named Draana after the goddess of the moon she climbed up to the loft. The horse was black with a white mane and tail. She also had white flecks all throughout his coat. Being a gift from Geshri, Draana was not a normal horse. Jahandri found this out about thirty minutes into her journey. Jahandri was not the best at riding horses and Draana had taken notice. Every few minutes Jahandri would move to try and get herself comfortable on the horse. Finally after about a half-hour Draana became irritated so she spoke up and said something about it. Jahandri almost jumped off the horse until Draana calming explained that like most things in her life her new horse was not normal. Draana also explained that she would behave and not throw off Jahandri if she promised that no one else would touch her, "I do not like humans" she had stated. Jahandri agreed to keep Draana away from all the humans that she possibly could.  
  
That night when Jahandri was finally getting ready to go to sleep she thought about what had happened: a talking horse, a goddess mother, a prince for a fiancé, running away from not one but two masters, "Well, at least I won't get bored," she smiled. She fell onto the old, dry hay causing a dust cloud to erupt around her. Sneezing, she grabbed the blanket her mother had packed on Draana and covered herself with its softness. She quickly tumbled off into sleep.  
  
Jahandri was awoken the next morning by a sharp poke into her stomach. A girl, not much older than she, with dark hair and dark, wide eyes stood over her. The girl had light brown skin and was wearing a ragged brown dress. Her hair was pulled back into a long and mangled braid tied at the end with a leather thong. A pitchfork was in the girl's hand and was aimed straight at Jahandri.  
  
"Who are ya n' why are ya in my barn?"  
  
"I thought that it was abandoned and I just needed somewhere to stay. I didn't know it was anyone's, I apologize."  
  
"Well git outta my barn!"  
  
"Yes, I will, just let me gather my things and I'll be gone and out of your way," Jahandri hurried down the ladder followed quickly by the girl. The girl watched as Jahandri quickly packed up Draana. Realizing that she had forgotten her blanket, Jahandri scampered back up the ladder and grabbed it. When she got back down the ladder she saw the girl about to stroke Draana along the back, "No, don't touch-" but Jahandri was too late. The girl had already made contact with the horse and Draana had reared up over her head. She then ran around the barn acting like a maniac. When Draana came running at the girl Jahandri quickly grabbed her reins and pulled her away from the helpless girl who, with a scream had collapsed onto the floor and crawled into a corner.  
  
Jahandri quickly apologized to the horse and the scolded her for her attempt to kill the girl. She then pulled the horse toward a stall at the other end of the barn. When Jahandri was sure that the horse was inside and would not be moving anytime soon she hurried over to see if the girl was all right.   
  
She was crouched in a corner with her hands over her face, "I'm sorry, but I didn't think yir horse would go wild like that."  
  
"No, you didn't. It would have served you right if I hadn't pulled her away. Where do you get off touching other people's belongings like that? If I hadn't of gotten down here in time you would have died."  
  
"I know n' I owe ya fir that," she stood up, "What kin I do ta repay ya?"  
  
"It's all right, I don't need anything and I really need to get going. I have a long journey ahead of me."  
  
"But ma'am... I kin come with ya! I kin help ya with stuff. 'Sides, ya don't wanna be alone on these roads at night."  
  
Jahandri really would like the company, but she knew that it would not be the best idea to have someone she just met, someone her mother did not even know about along with her on the journey, "I don't know..."  
  
"Come on ma'am. I don't have any thing ta do n' ya'll need someone ta pertect ya on the roads."  
  
"I can protect myself, thank you very much!" At this the girl snorted, "Think what you want. I will, however, let you come along with me, just for the company and not for protection. Just don't go anywhere near my horse ever again."  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"And don't call me 'ma'am'. My name is Jahandri. What is yours?"  
  
"Klaudya."  
  
"Well Klaudya, let's get going. We have a long way to go."  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"Q'Rhaz."  
  
So they started out on their journey. Jahandri road atop Draana and Klaudya walked alongside her. Draana never uttered a word when Klaudya was nearby, she still held resentment for the human girl who had tried to stroke her. 


	5. chapter 5

Chapter V  
  
One the first day of their journey together Jahandri asked Klaudya where she had come from and why she had been staying in an old and abandoned barn.  
  
"I had nowhere else ta stay."  
  
"What about your family?"  
  
"I ain't got no family. They all died in a fire a while back. When I was seven. Can't hardly remember them now. All I remember is my Ma had sent me inta town ta buy somethin. When I got back the house was on fire n' they was all dead."  
  
Jahandri felt sorry for the girl but she could not think of anything to say. She had never met her father and had just recently met her mother. Her family problems were almost as bad as Klaudya's.  
  
They traveled on together for a while, stopping every so often to rest and going into random towns to buy food with the money Geshri had given to Jahandri. After giving Klaudya some decent clothes Jahandri always sent her into the towns for fear that either Yujri's spies or those of Ithrán were looking for her. Jahandri had told Klaudya about Yujri and why he was looking for her but she had not gotten around to explaining about Geshri, Ithrán and Marí yet. She did not know if she ever would get around to it. Klaudya did not need to know that they were not only being pursued by some of the best spies in the world but also a god. Jahandri had grown to like the girl and did not want Klaudya abandoning her out of fear. Geshri said that the stone would protect her from Ithrán and the god did not know that Klaudya had met up with Jahandri so she figured that Klaudya was safe.  
  
After a week of traveling it was time to stop for food again. As usual Jahandri started to set up a place for them to sleep, it was getting colder and they had invested some of their food money into a small tent to protect them from the biting winds. Klaudya stood up to get the money to go into town and sighed thinking about the long walk ahead of her.  
  
Klaudya was getting tired of having to go into town every time they needed food. She thought that Jahandri should have to make the twenty-minute walk into town for once. Jahandri road the horse everywhere that they went and she had to walk. After thinking it over, Klaudya decided that enough was enough and Jahandri should take her turn going into town. She was not Jahandri's slave and they were supposed to be friends.  
  
With that in mind Klaudya put the coins back into their purse with a 'clink' and sat down on a nearby stump. She watched Jahandri struggle with the tent and it took her five minutes to realize that Klaudya had not left for town yet, "Klaudya? Are you waiting for something? Why haven't you left yet?"  
  
"I think ya should take yir turn goin' inta town today. I'm too tired from walkin' all day ta go. 'Sides, I ain't yir slave."  
  
Jahandri stared at Klaudya with a confused look, "But we had decided that I would set up the tent every night and you would go into town every so often when we needed food."  
  
"We didn't decide nothing. You decided. I ain't yir slave, missy. Git over yirself n' go inta town fir once."  
  
'What could it hurt,' thought Jahandri, 'I'll just hide myself inside my cloak.' "Fine, I will go into town, but I'm taking Draana."  
  
"Fine."  
  
Jahandri stood up and headed over to the horse, "Let's go girl."   
  
Once they were out of Klaudya's earshot Draana started talking, "If your mother knew that you were going into town she would be fearful."  
  
"That's why we are not going to tell her anything."  
  
The rest of the way into town Draana did not utter a word. When Jahandri got near town she settled the horse near a tree on the outskirts and pulled her cloak over her white hair. When she felt the cloak was completely in place she headed into town keeping her head facing the ground. She went about her shopping, placing all the food she bought in a basket hanging from her arm.  
  
It took about forty minutes for Jahandri to find all the food she needed. On her way back to find Draana a man from behind a cart called out to her, "Pretty lass, who art thou? You are not from around here. Do you need directions, a place to stay? I have a proper bed with a soft pillow you may lay your pretty little head on."  
  
Jahandri answered him "Ah, good sir. I would love to stay and talk, but I must hurry back. My fiancé awaits me and I must travel to him."  
  
The man played with the stone that hung from his neck. He looked somehow out of place in the town. His spiky black hair was unnaturally short; most of the townsmen had long hair pulled into a horsetail. His eyes were also rather odd. They were a dark shade of green with hints of blue in them. The robes that he wore were of a much finer quality than those of the rest of the townspeople. He had cotton breeches and a satin shirt. "Ah, too bad you will not stay with me, I have information that you may find interesting. Information about the gods, that is"  
  
Jahandri hurried over to the cart, "What makes you think I care about your so-called information about the gods."  
  
"I can see things. I know about you... and I know about your mother."  
  
"What do you know about my mother?"  
  
"I don't know if I should tell you, I mean it is a long story and you seem to be in such a hurry so-"  
  
"Tell me what you think you know now!"  
  
"All right, my dear. Don't be so hasty. I'll tell you everything, in good time. Right now I have to finish selling my wares. If you'll excuse me, SCARVES! GET YOUR QUALITY, SILK SCARVES HERE!"  
  
Jahandri reached out and grabbed him by his sleeve and pulled him out of the street, "Tell me what you know."  
  
"Okay, okay, just let go of me. I'll tell you if you inform me where you are going in such a hurry."  
  
"I am going to my wedding. I already told you. My husband is from Q'Rhaz and we are getting married there."   
  
"Okay my dear, and now from my little bit of information. I saw you and another girl, she had darker features than yours but looked about the same age, in one of my dreams, that's how I knew this message was for you. Later that night I was awoken by a whispering voice. The voice was soft but somehow it seemed to roar in my ears. When I opened my eyes there was a woman standing in front of me. She had hair the color of black ink unnatural aqua colored eyes, much like yours.  
  
"She told me that she had a message for her daughter, a girl who would come into town in the next few days. I wondered why she couldn't wait and tell you herself but I didn't ask. She also mentioned that I had already seen her in a dream earlier that night. The woman told me to tell you that your uncle had began to look in the south and he was having her followed. She also said to make sure that you concealed your identity from everyone and not tell a single person who you really are.  
  
"Then she left, not through the door or anything, she just disappeared. That's why I figured she had to be a goddess. I can't explain the message anymore than that, it seemed a bit vague to me but perhaps you understand it."  
  
"Yes, yes I do. Thank you so much for telling me this. I know you may not understand I cannot tell you anymore but thank you!"  
  
"Aren't you in a hurry to be somewhere?"  
  
"Yes actually, but thank you!" Jahandri hurried off toward Draana leaving the peculiar man at his cart.   
  
The man smiled and snapped his fingers. Suddenly the helpful man disappeared and in his place Ithrán stood with a smirk firmly planted on his face. "That was almost too easy," he stated as he strode   
  
When Jahandri got back to where the tent had been set up she found Klaudya inside and asleep. Jahandri quietly tethered Draana to a tree; she knew that the horse would not try to escape, rather she feared thieves looking for another horse. She grabbed the food basket off the horse and slipped inside the tent. Jahandri thought whether or not to wake Klaudya while she broke off a piece of bread. Deciding against it she grabbed an apple and quietly chewed it. The bread tasted like stale sawdust that crumbled in her mouth and the apple was covered in bruises.  
  
Jahandri thought about the man who had told her about her mother. It was a warning but why was it so important that Geshri had come to a random man in a random town and told him? Why did the man even care where she was going? Jahandri sighed and slipped down onto the cold, hard ground and pulled a blanket up and over her. 


	6. chapter 6

Chapter VI  
  
The two girls continued on the long journey north the next morning. As usual Jahandri rose at daybreak and as usual Klaudya did not wake for another hour. By the time Klaudya was awake Jahandri had already packed up everything but the blanket Klaudya was using and the tent she was sleeping under. When Klaudya did wake up she folded her blanket and strapped it onto the horse. That was as close as Draana would let the girl get and even that was better than how the relationship between the girl and the horse had started.   
  
Jahandri folded up the tent as Klaudya sat on a tree stump eating an extremely brown and bruised apple. She made a face and threw the rest of the apple at Draana's feet. The horse bent down and swallowed the apple nearly whole. "Why did ya git such nasty apples?"  
  
"It was the only thing the market had. The bread it rather stale too," 'and besides,' Jahandri thought, "I'm not any good at picking out food.'  
  
Klaudya sliced a wedge of cheese in hopes that it would help the staleness of the bread, "Well, at least the cheese is half decent."  
  
Jahandri did not feel like commenting she just packed up the tent and lifted herself onto Draana's back. She waited for Klaudya to stand up and brush the crumbs off her dress before she started Draana at their normal, very slow pace. After a few days they had run out of food and had to go into the next town again.  
  
Jahandri started to set up a place for them to sleep and expected Klaudya to head off to town. Klaudya just set down on a blanket she had laid out on the ground and played with the ring around her finger. When Jahandri was nearly done with the tent she saw that Klaudya had not left yet, "Are you waiting for something?"  
  
"Nope, only fir ya ta be done with the tent so I kin go inside."  
  
"I thought we had decided that you would go into town and I would set up the tent."  
  
"No, ya decided. Now I decided that I'll stay here and ya'll go inta town."  
  
Jahandri sighed, finished the tent and went to get Draana. They road until they were out of Klaudya's earshot and the Draana started talking, "If your mother knew that you were going into town she would be fearful."  
  
"That's why we are not going to tell her anything."  
  
Just like before, the rest of the way into town Draana did not utter a word. This time Jahandri went around town, picked out her food and got back to Draana without interruption. They headed back to where the tent was set up and again found Klaudya inside and asleep. Jahandri did not wake her but instead broke off a hank of bread and ate it.  
  
The next morning when it was time to continue their journey Klaudya was still sleeping and Jahandri pulled out the bag that held the stone and went off to pray to her mother, "Mother please help me, I am afraid to turn any corner, go to any town. I got your message and it has just made me more fearful. I feel as if I cannot trust anyone. The only thing that makes me feel safe is the stone you gave me. It is the only thing that lies between me and my complete destruction and I thank you for it."  
  
What Jahandri did not know was at the same moment she was praying to her mother, Klaudya was awake and listening in the tent. She got a mischievous look on her face. 'If I can get that stone away from her then I could become a princess,' she thought. Klaudya never was one to be helpful if she could help herself instead.  
  
After Jahandri was finished with her prayers she found that Klaudya was awake and folding up the tent. She placed it on the pack attached to Draana's saddle and ripped off a piece of bread. Klaudya stood up as she ate the bread, not wanting to dirty her dress. Jahandri folded the rest of the blankets and placed them on the pack. She then mounted Draana and the two girls set off down the road again.  
  
They continued on for a week, stopping every night, before they needed food again. Every night when Jahandri was asleep Klaudya tried to take the stone out of it's bag but was never successful. The bag was too far down the front of Jahandri's dress!  
  
This time Jahandri did not even bother setting up the tent. She just pulled herself up onto Draana and started down the road. Yet again they road until they were out of Klaudya's earshot and the Draana started talking, "If your mother knew that you were going into town she would be fearful."  
  
"That's why we are not going to tell her anything."  
  
Just like before, the rest of the way into town Draana did not utter a word. Jahandri went around town with her cloak pulled over her head and bought all the things they would need for the next two days. They were a day or two from Q'Rhaz and they would not need to stop for food anymore. When Jahandri was finished with her shopping she went back to where she had left Draana. She mounted the horse and they headed back to where Klaudya was. On the way back she thought of what Klaudya would do once they reached Q'Rhaz. 'I think I'll ask the king if she can be one of my ladies in waiting,' she decided. Jahandri wanted to make sure the girl who had traveled with her would be taken care of.  
  
When she got back to camp Jahandri found that Klaudya had not set up the tent and was just lying on a blanket that she had flung on the ground, "Were you going to set up the tent?"  
  
"No, that's yir job."  
  
"No, you said that I have to go into town and buy food."  
  
"Well, this week I was going ta but ya road off with all the money."  
  
"I went into town and bought our food! You can at least help me set up the tent."  
  
"No, I don't feel like it."  
  
'Maybe I'll just ask for her to be one of my chambermaids,' Jahandri thought as she set up the tent. She grabbed the food basket and a few blankets before heading inside. Klaudya took a few wedges of cheese and a large piece of bread before she moved to sit down. Jahandri just ate an apple before she pulled a blanket over her head.   
  
When she was covered completely in the warm and scratchy woolen blanket Jahandri pulled out the satin bag from under her dress. She held the smooth stone in her hand for a long time even though she knew her mother would not come. This small, insignificant stone was the only thing that could protect her from Yujri and Ithrán. She thought about how much had changed for her in the past year as she dozed off with the stone in her hand.  
  
Klaudya was still awake on the other side of the tent. She waited until she heard Jahandri deep, even breathing before she made an attempt to take the stone. Crawling towards Jahandri, Klaudya slowly lifted the blanket that covered Jahandri's head. She gasped when she saw that the bag that held the stone was not tucked down into Jahandri's dress. Carefully Klaudya picked up the soft satin bag and realized the stone was not inside of it. She was extremely puzzled until she saw Jahandri's fingers uncurling to reveal a dark, glassy substance. It had to have been the stone.  
  
Klaudya contemplated how to get the stone without waking Jahandri and then decided just to wait until Jahandri's fingers uncurled enough. Thankfully she did not have to wait that long. After ten minutes of waiting and staring at Jahandri's palm the stone slipped through her fingers. Klaudya quickly grabbed the stone and put it in her pocket. She quietly crept across the tent and pulled a blanket over her head with a satisfied sigh. 


End file.
